Freezing Reign
by Queen Renarde
Summary: King Wendell suspect another evil plot is at hand, this time by the Ice Queen of the 8th Kingdom. But his advisors don’t believe him. So Wendell secretly calls upon Wolf and Virginia to investigate the situation. Along the way, they meet new faces and
1. Chapter 1: Trouble Brewing

Disclaimer: I do not own Tenth Kingdom or any characters used in the miniseries. The only things I own are my new characters and the plot of this story. I am but a humble fan compelled to continue this marvelous story.   
Freezing Reign _Chapter 1: Trouble Brewing_

"This is outrageous!"

The castle of King Wendell White was one of the most beautiful in all the 9 Kingdoms. Its majestic towers were comparable only to Cinderella's castle or the Ice Palace in the 8th Kingdom. But today the halls of this magnificent structure, and more specifically the conference chamber, were filled with an atmosphere which was tense to say the least.

"Your Majesty, please calm yourself." Said one of the older counselors. "You're overreacting."

"There is nothing sinister going on, sir," added Sir Rupert reassuringly.

"Oh, Isn't there?" the King retorted spitefully. "I suppose it's just a coincidence that five kingdoms refuse to reason with me on any issue. Five! I could imagine this attitude from the Troll King or even the 8th kingdom and its Ice Queen, Heaven knows she's never been satisfied with her lot. But the others have no reason to act like this!"

"Like what your Majesty?" Rupert asked. "You have been King for only four months. Some arguing is to be expected, you're blowing this out of proportion."

Wendell sighed with frustration and pressed both hands down on the table. "No," he said quietly but firmly. "No I'm not.

"Look, this meeting is adjourned. I'll keep your comments in mind and you may rest assured I will not act rashly without your knowing." As the advisors slowly exited the room, the discouraged King sat in his chair and rested his chin on his fist. For at least five minutes he stayed this way, pondering means of solving the problem he knew existed. Unfortunately, because he was a new king, no one took him seriously in his beliefs. And so, after much thought (and not just the last five minutes) Wendell decided to secretly take back the promise he made to his advisors. He and the 9 Kingdoms needed the assistance of people he knew he could trust.

"Olrick," he called to the attendant standing watch. "Privately get me someone to send a message." As Olrick turned to leave, the King added, "And Olrick, ready The Mirror."


	2. Chapter 2: The Man behind the Door

Chapter 2: The Man behind the Door 

After the 9 kingdoms were saved from King Wendell's evil step-mother, the four heroes split up. Tony Lewis stayed in the 4th Kingdom at the King's request to begin work on the Bouncy Castle Project. His daughter Virginia married Wolf then the two of them returned to New York, the 10th Kingdom. The new apartment still over looked Central Park, and they had sent the king word of their address in case he ever needed to find them. They had no idea it would be so soon.

"That was delicious!" said Wolf as the couple walked into their apartment one evening. "I _love_ when we go out for hamburgers, Virginia, they just don't have sandwiches that good back home!"

"You said almost the same thing when we had Greek food last week," said Virginia with a smile. Wolf often raved about many aspects of his new home, especially the food.

"And the hamburgers were almost as good as the gyros!" Wolf remembered the mouthwatering delight and increasing enthusiasm. "The tenderness of the fluffy lamb, the lettuce, the tomatoes, the sharpness of the feta, all wrapped up in pita! Aruuu…"

"So next week then?"

"Could we?" Wolf asked eagerly, holding her hands and all but begging to go.

"Sure we can," she replied fondly, planting a small kiss upon his lips. "But right now I'm just glad to be home.".

"Oh, me too. It seems like we've been all over New York today," Wolf said as he sat down on the couch and began searching for the remote.

"That's because _you_ have," Virginia said as she set her purse down on the table. "You took another ride on the subway today, went up the Statue of Liberty _again, _and watched a Yankees game."

"Yeah, and they lost, too."

"You are just nuts, you know that?" Virginia made her way into the kitchen and got a bowl and spoon. Then she opened the ice box and produced a carton of ice cream.

"Virginia I am not 'nuts'…Grrr, where is that remote!"

"Between the arm and the cushion," Virginia said calmly as she scooped the ice cream into the bowl.

"Oh, of course," said Wolf, slightly embarrassed as he removed the remote from its hiding place. Virginia returned and sat down with her feet in his lap as Wolf turned on the television. As he flipped through channels, he sighed. "Friday night, and there's nothing on."

"You know Wolf," his wife said before taking a bite, "For being from another world, you're adjusting to this one quite nicely."

"Oh, I try." He dipped his finger into her ice cream for a taste. "Mm, strawberry."

Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. Wolf lifted Virginia's feet off his lap and got up to open it. Standing there in the hallway with one hand in his pocket was a dark haired man just shy of Wolf's height. He was wearing glasses and a brown trench coat, and his expression was serious and unemotional. "Uh…Hello. Who are you?"

"I am Harold Harker, King Wendell's Royal Messenger," said the man in a low voice. "Will you let me in or won't you?"

"Yeah…Just a minute," Wolf shut the door and turned to Virginia. "Some messenger from Wendell."

"Well, let him in!" she said as she stood up.

"Ok," Wolf opened the door again and in an entreating voice said, "Yes, of course, please come in." Harold said nothing and walked right on in.

"I'm not going to be here long," he said. "And in fact I'm not authorized to tell you very much anyway. Only this: His Majesty requests your immediate presence. You must pretend to just be visiting and you should probably pack a bag."

"Huff Puff, right away?"

"How long does he expect us to stay?" Virginia asked. "We have lives you know."

"I had a distinct message and I delivered it," said Harold coolly. "The King wishes to give you the rest of the information personally. I suggest you tie up any loose ends post haste." He moved toward the door. "I will wait for you in the park by the mirror and expect you there in no more than two hours time."

"Hold on a min—," the door shut in Virginia's face. "Oh, that's just perfect! What could Wendell possibly need us for?"

"I don't know," Wolf replied, running his hand through his hair. "But it must be important, or he wouldn't ask us to come so urgently. He likes doing things for himself."

"Virginia sighed and paced for a few moments trying to think straight. "Hey, he just wants to see us right? We don't have to necessarily agree to what he wants us to do."

""Yes, yes, my creamy darling, you're right!" said Wolf, "But just to be on the safe side we should do what Harold said. I'll pack, if you can figure out an excuse to get off work for a week or two."

"What kind of excuse?"

"Death in the family, trip to Europe, horribly poisonous snakebite, anything!" He said grabbing an apple from the kitchen. "I have a feeling this trip will be very big and very exciting."


	3. Chapter 3: The King’s Dilemma

**From the Desk of Queen Renarde:** Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, guys. I was sick this week and hardly wanted to do anything, least of all write. But here it is now and you get a little better idea of what's been going on with the kingdoms. Hope you like it, and thanks to those of you who reviewed my last two chapters. Luv ya'll to pieces!

Chapter 3 The King's Dilemma 

Harold walked along the paths through Central Park, stopping for nothing as he went. He hated this Kingdom, and he was glad there was only one way to get here. This place was too noisy, dangerous and chaotic. Why anyone would rather live here than the 9 Kingdoms he couldn't understand. New York's magical technology definitely wasn't worth it. Well, at least he could find solace in the fact that this was not his bloody problem. When he arrived at the mirror, he sat down against a nearby tree and waited for Wolf and Virginia.

It was an hour and a half later when the couple walked down the paved pathway that led by the camouflaged mirror. They each had backpacks and wore suitable travel clothes. "Well, we're here," said Virginia with a noticeable hint of impatience.

"Good, the King will be glad you decided to come," Harold replied as he stood up. "You know how this works. Ladies first."

Virginia walked up to the mirror and stepped through the slightly iridescent portal. Almost instantly, she found herself not amidst plants and trees under a dark sky, but in a brightly lit palace corridor in front of a young man. "Hi. I guess you've been expecting me. I'm—"

"You're Virginia Lewis, a hero in all the nine kingdoms!" he said and his face brightened as though he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life. "And you're Wolf, another hero!" he said when Wolf stepped in behind his wife.

"Uh, yeah, that's us." Virginia replied. "You were expecting us right?" At this point Harold appeared, but kept quiet. "Because you seem…surprised." Harold gave the young man a look.

"Oh, yes," said the young man, toning down his exuberance. "I have been expecting you. My name's Olrick and I'm to lead you to your private audience with the King. Follow me." Olrick led Virginia and her husband down several corridors filled with portraits and tapestries detailing famous persons and events. Along the way, he informed them on what to say if anyone asked why they were here.

"You should tell them you are only here on a friendly visit to the King. Maybe you want him to be Godfather to your son or something," he suggested helpfully. "But don't suggest that you personally are doing anything to resolve the arguments."

"What arguments?" Wolf asked.

"His Majesty will tell you all about it, sir," Harold assured him. He waited a moment, then whispered to Virginia, "Olrick is new and was very excited at the chance to meet you. Told him to keep it to a minimum, but apparently he just couldn't."

"Well, then," said Olrick as they finally stopped in front of a large, ornate door. "If you wait right her, I'll go in and announce you." They watched as he disappeared behind the beautiful door. For a few seconds they waited in silence, then he returned and let them in.

Wendell stood up and smiled when his friends entered. "I'm so glad you could make it," he said as he embraced Virginia. He turned to Wolf and hesitantly shook his hand. "Er, please, do sit down."

Wolf and Virginia did as they were told and sat down at one end of the long table. "So," said Virginia, "It's great to see you again, Wendell. But, why did you call us here? What's the problem?"

"My you do get straight to the point," he said with a sigh. "Alright, for the past two months there have been many unprecedented arguments between my Kingdom and several others. These include, not surprisingly, the Troll Kingdom and the 8th Kingdom to the North. But the others are the 2nd, 5th and 9th Kingdoms, all of which had been peaceful until now."

"So what do you need us for?"

"It's obvious that this isn't just coincidence, but none of my advisors will believe me. So what I would like you to do for me is travel to the 8th Kingdom and investigate the situation."

"Why the 8th Kingdom?" asked Wolf. "I mean, couldn't another Kingdom be the source of this?"

"I understand your reluctance to go, Wolf, but no. Burly the Troll king doesn't have anywhere near the intelligence to try and take my Kingdom this way, which leaves the Ice Queen as the mastermind. Besides, she has magic at her disposal, which explains how she turned the other kingdoms against me."

"But the 8th Kingdom is one of the most dangerous," said Wolf. "And Virginia's pregnant. I don't want to risk my child's life."

"I trust that Virginia can take care of herself, and if not, you can. I would compare the Kingdom's danger to that of New York, and she has lived there her entire life."

"How long do you expect this to take?" asked Virginia. "I only bought myself two weeks off work with dead aunt excuse."

"This should take no more than one week," The King said. "10 days at most."

Virginia exchanged glances with Wolf. Neither was sure they wanted to agree to this, but both wanted to help however they could. "I'll leave you alone to talk it over," said Wendell as he left the room. He closed the doors behind him and observed the faces of Olrick and Harold. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see what they do."


	4. Chapter 4: Hidden in the Trees

**From the Desk of Queen Renarde:** Hello all, it's me again. I like talking to you. Anyway, as you can see, this chapter is much longer than the last two, but don't let that discourage you. It's a good and important chapter and you meet a new character, so read it and have fun. If you like it, please review. Lu ya'll to pieces!

_Chapter 4: Hidden in the Trees_

The next morning Wolf was in the stable getting the horse saddled up for the journey to the 8th kingdom. After an intense discussion, he and Virginia decided that if they could help, they should. Wendell provided them with a horse so that Virginia wouldn't have to walk the whole way. It was about 10:30 when the King came to the stables to see them off. At not seeing Virginia there, he asked Wolf where she was.

"She's catching up on things with Tony," said Wolf as he put some rope into one of the saddle bags. "How is that Bouncy-thing going anyway?"

"Not so good," Wendell sighed. "The 9th kingdom is refusing to loan us miners to help find and pump the petroleum we'd need to even get started."

"Oh…yeah, that's not good…" Wolf tried to act like he knew what Wendell was talking about, but the truth was he didn't have a clue. Wendell shook his head at him and said, "Never mind."

"Gladly."

The men heard a door shut and soon Virginia came into sight. As she walked down the stairs, Wolf was entranced by her chin length hair, bouncing with her every step. He was still looking at it when she was standing right in front of him. "Wolf," she said. "You're staring at my hair again."

"Cripes, was I?" he said, snapping out of the trance. "Sorry, Virginia. I promise I'll try to stop that." He shrugged and smiled sweetly. So how's Tony doing?"

"Oh, Dad's fine, but business isn't," said Virginia. "The Dwarves—"

"Yeah, Wendy told me," he said, jerking a thumb at the King.

"Don't call me that."

"Oh, I didn't see you there," said Virginia when she heard Wendell speak. She continued talking before he had a chance to respond. "Well, I guess we should get going. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back, right?"

"Alright, then," said Wendell, opting not to pursue how Virginia could possibly have missed him. "I've gotten a healthy young mare for you and Wolf's spent the morning saddling her up. Your best chance is to go northwest towards the sea, then move up into the South Arctic Village."

"South Arctic Village?" asked Virginia. "Isn't that an oxymoron?"

"No," Wendell replied. "Not really. There's another Arctic Village further north and more inland."

"Oh."

"Yes. Anyway, you gather information there and, if you feel you need to, try and go towards the Ice Palace and talk to the people in the villages nearby. Then return here when you're done."

"What if we run into trouble?" asked Wolf.

"Well, you shouldn't," said Wendell. "But since trouble does seen to follow you, the best route would be to head east towards the 7th kingdom. It's only accessible for a few minutes at dawn and dusk, so time it right."

"What if that doesn't work?" Wolf pressed.

"Well, then…Virginia's smart, she'll think of something." When Wendell saw the look she gave him, he quickly had them mount the horse. "Now it'll take you two days to get to South Arctic Village, and you are not to ride very fast or you'll risk drawing unwanted attention. Do you understand?"

"Got it," said Wolf, perched behind Virginia in the saddle. "Northwest, South Arctic Village, not too fast. Hiya!" As the horse set off at a gallop out of the stable, Wolf cried out, "Bye Wendy!"

"Don't!…Oh, never mind." The King waved to them as they left, then walked back into his castle.

They rode for a long time across the northwestern plains of the 4th kingdom. The plains were wide and stretched for many miles, but there a few scattered creeks and groves of trees, some of the latter were large enough to pass for very small forests. After they had been traveling for almost five hours, they decided to give the horse a rest.

"How about we go over there between those trees?" Virginia suggested, indicating one of the larger groves.

"Sounds good. Come on, Pony." Wolf steered the horse to the trees, then he jumped down and tied off the reigns. Just as he was about to help Virginia get down, he caught it. The scent of an unfamiliar animal was blowing through the trees. "Oh, Virginia, do you smell that?"

"No."

"Oh, right, of course you don't. But it smells…,"he sniffed the air. "Oh, but it can't be… it smells like… but it isn't, it's…it's… Oh, I gotta go, gotta find it!" And he took off into the trees before Virginia could stop him.

He kept running, jumping over logs and ducking low branches, stopping only to get a whiff of the drifting odor. He ducked behind trees, fell a couple of times, but wouldn't be deterred. He was getting closer and closer, whatever he was smelling was just around the corner. The scent was getting stronger, it was right there! He crouched and put his hands up in front of him, ready for a fight, only to find a girl mimicking his stance.

She had a fierce scowl on her face, but she soon recognized him and her expression softened. She stood up straight and started to smooth out her appearance. She was young, about 18, with curly red hair that hung just above her shoulders. Her outfit consisted of a blue mid-calf skirt, a white off-the-shoulder shirt under a brown lace-up top, and a pair of brown ankle boots.. Around her neck was a simple, star-shaped pendant and atop her head was nice, but plain, hat.

"Sorry about that," she said. "I heard you coming and you never know what dangerous beast might be rustling through the grass like that."

Wolf could do nothing but eye her suspiciously. It was if his keen senses were betraying him, for this girl looked human enough, but she certainly didn't smell like it. When he finally managed to speak, he asked, "Who…and what are you?"

"Oh, excuse me," she said politely, placing a hand over her chest. "I should introduce myself. Please, call me Rena." With just the right amount of grandeur, she removed her hat and bowed to him.

With that gesture, he knew immediately what this girl, Rena, was, and his face lit up with amazement. "Cripes! Are you really a—"

"Yes, sir, I am," She said putting her hat back on. "And usually I'm proud of it, too."

"Huff puff, I didn't know there were any of you left!"

"Well, we're not exactly thriving," Rena said with a sigh. "The way people kill us off for petty crimes and trophies, it wouldn't surprise me if there were less than fifteen of us in all the 9 Kingdoms."

"That's terrible," said Wolf. "So is this where you live?"

"No, currently I live in a town near King Wendell's castle," she told him. "I'm here because I've been following you and your wife for three or four hours."

"Following us!" Wolf exclaimed, taken by surprise. "Why are you following us? Are you one of the Ice Queen's spies? Wait, if you were, you wouldn't have told me you were following us. Or would you?"

"Amazing. If you could keep a secret any better I'd think your lips were sewn shut," said Rena with obvious sarcasm. "But, lucky for you, I'm not a spy. I was sent by King Wendell to accompany you on your journey."

"You were?" he asked, relatively unphased by her sarcastic comment. "Why would he send you and not tell us?"

"It was a last minute decision," she explained. "And he wasn't sure how you'd feel initially about having someone along whom you didn't know. So he sent me to follow you for a while, make sure you avoided people's attention, then show up and join you."

"I see," said Wolf as he tried to think of a way to prove she wasn't lying. "And if Wendell sent you, you must know what our mission is."

"To travel to the 8th kingdom and investigate the Ice Queen's plan to control the 4th kingdom if not them all," said Rena matter-of-factly. "I'm really telling the truth here Wolf."

Wolf shrugged. If nothing else, this girl knew as much about the situation as he did, maybe more. "Alright, I trust you. Welcome aboard, Rena," Wolf said, extending his hand.

"Thanks," she replied as she shook his hand. Rena had expected her encounter with Wolf to go well, owing to his likely fascination of her and what aspects they shared in common. But Virginia worried her. After all, Wolf's wife was known not to always be as trusting as he was. On their way back to where Virginia and the horse were resting, Rena spoke up with a request.

"Wolf," she said, "this may sound strange, but I would rather you not tell Virginia what I am."

"That most certainly does sound strange, Rena," said Wolf. "Why wouldn't you want her to know what a wonderful creature you are?"

"I'm afraid she'll think she's a magnet for 'wonderful creatures' like us, and that's not the kind of first impression I want to make. Besides," she paused a moment to move a low branch out of her way, "She'll probably find out on her own in less than a day."

"If you say so, I guess," said Wolf as they continued to trek their way through the trees. "Has anyone ever told you that you are a mysterious and confusing person?"

She smiled. "Several times. I take it as a compliment, though, so thank you."

When they approached the clearing, Wolf entered first, prepared for the tongue-lashing that might ensue. Virginia immediately stood up when she saw him and marched over. "What on earth were you thinking? Running off like that just because you smelled something! Well I hope you found it, 'cause believe me—"

"Calm down, please, please," Wolf said, cutting her off mid-rampage. "I'm sorry, Virginia, I couldn't help it. But I did find where the smell was coming from, look," he pointed to Rena, who was standing several feet behind him so that Virginia hadn't noticed her. "Wendell sent her to help us and she was following us for hours."

"Virginia looked tentatively at this girl Wolf had found in the trees. She didn't look like she was hiding anything, but Virginia worried that Wolf was perhaps too trusting. "You say Wendell sent you?"

"That's right," said Rena. "He didn't tell you before because he wanted you to feel he had complete confidence in you. And of course he still does, but he though it would be a good idea to have me along as well."

"Okay," Virginia replied, to her that sounded like a believable thing Wendell would do. "So, what's your name?"

The girl smiled. "Rena, call me Rena."

"Rena. Is that it or do you have a last name?"

"Rena sighed and said, "Yes, I have a last name, but as a symbolic gesture I choose not to use it. My full name is Rena Wilde. My ancestors were hunters, more specifically game hunters. They killed hundreds of animals just for trophies like heads and pelts. I am disgraced to be their descendant, so I've rejected their family name. Back home I'm the leader of a large and active animal rights group."

"Interesting," said Virginia with genuine feelings about Rena's story. "If you don't mind me asking another question, why did Wendell send _you_ with us?"

"Because I ha several skills hat could prove useful in this endeavor," answered Rena. "I have stealth, diplomacy, and a stiff right hook. But most importantly, I grew up in the area you're heading to. When I was young, my parents and I moved a lot, all over the TriKingdom."

"What's the TriKingdom?" Virginia asked and Wolf answered her.

"That's what the place where the 2nd, 4th, and 8th Kingdoms meet is called," he said.

"Alright," said Virginia. "You've pretty much convinced me you're telling the truth. One last thing, Wolf," He shifted his gaze from Rena to Virginia. "Do you trust her?"

"Yes," he said. "Definitely."

"Good, then I trust her, too," Just then they heard a crash and Virginia looked behind her. The bucket of oats for the horse had fallen over, so she ran off to fix the situation. When she was gone, Wolf turned to Rena and in hushed tones said, "It's true that I trust you, but that doesn't mean I'll believe everything you say. I hope those weren't very big lies you just told."

For a second Rena looked at him with surprise, but then she gave him a sly smile and replied, "No, they were just little ones."


	5. Chapter 5: Waters of Truth

**From the Desk of Queen Renarde: **Sorry it took me so long to update, I've been really busy, and next week is tech week for the play I'm in so it'll probably be a couple of weeks before Chapter 6 is written and up here. But It'll get here, I promise! You find out what Rena is in this chapter, so please read and review! Luv ya'll to pieces!   
Chapter 5: Waters of truth 

And so, after resting and having a bite to eat, Wolf and Virginia continued on their journey, only now with Rena along as well. Over the next few hours. Virginia rode with Wolf on the horse while Rena walked alongside. She had no objections to this, as she would not want to make a pregnant woman walk for miles, nor force her to ride with a stranger instead of her husband.

As evening set in, they made camp in a small grove of oak trees. Wolf and Virginia built the fire while Rena hunted for something to eat. That night they sat up talking and eating the delicious rabbit Rena had cooked.

"Well, I'll be sure to steer clear of cows from now on, Wolf," Rena said with a laugh. Wolf had been entertaining the ladies with tales of sheep poaching gone horribly wrong. "So, Virginia, do you know what you want to name the baby yet?"

"Well," she said with a glance at Wolf, "Wolf's pretty sure it's a boy, so I was thinking maybe James, or Nick…"

"I knew a guy named Nick once," said Rena. "Real jerk. But, you know, I've always liked Russell or Dominic for a boy. Not that I'm really expecting to have kids or anything…"

"Oh?" asked Wolf. "Why's that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, I've never felt like much of a mothering type. I'm afraid getting married and having kids will just weigh me down."

"Well, being married hasn't weighed me down yet," Virginia told her, smiling. "But I'll have to get back to you on having kids." She turned to Wolf. "Honey, I'm going to bed, join me?"

"In a minute," he said tenderly planting a kiss on her cheek. She nodded and walked over to where she'd laid out a blanket her and Wolf to share. Virginia laid there for a while waiting for Wolf, but he didn't come. She raised her head up and saw that he was still by the campfire with Rena. They were smiling and laughing and having a great time in each other's company. As she watched them, Virginia felt a sadness come over her. And maybe it was just the hormones, but she found herself questioning Wolf's loyalty. With these unhappy thoughts in her head, Virginia laid her head down and fell asleep.

That night she had a dream which had her feeling very disturbed when she woke from it. She was in King Wendell's castle and Rena was there with a big crown on her head. There were five little children all dancing around Rena, who smiled and said, "It's okay, Virginia, Wolf won't let our kids run away." Then she woke up and found herself in Wolf's arms, who was still sleeping. She sighed and joined her husband in peaceful slumber, and didn't have any more dreams that night.

The next morning, Wolf made bacon sandwiches while Rena and Virginia packed up camp. When they were ready to move out, Wolf thought it was only fair that Rena ride for a while and he walk. At first Rena protested, but ultimately she gave in and sat behind Virginia on the horse. Throughout the day they rotated riders, but Virginia walked the least. They stopped at noon to have a bit of lunch, but other than that they moved at a steady pace all day.

At about 5 o'clock, the air began to get colder. Not severely, more like a cool autumn day, and in fact the trees bore red and gold leaves as well. Wolf was now walking while the women rode, but he suddenly stopped sniffed the air. Virginia turned the horse around. "Wolf, what is it?" she asked.

"Men, " he said with his nose still in the air. "They're following us…trackers…Oh, huff puff, they've got dogs too!"

"How far off are they?" asked Rena.

"45 minutes at the rate we're traveling, but they're closing fast."

"Is there water nearby?" she continued.

He checked the air. "Yes," he said. "About a hundred yards that direction."

"I've got an idea," said Rena. "Lead us to the water."

Wolf sped off towards the source of the water's scent and Rena took the reins and followed him. He led them to a large creek running with clear water. Rena dismounted and helped Virginia down as well, then she approached Wolf again. "Do you have any rope?" He removed the coil of rope from the saddle bag. "Good, here's what we need to do. We take the rope and tie it around our waists, connecting us to each other, then we get in the water and walk upstream about a quarter of a mile and get out on the other side. The water will carry away our scent and confuse the dogs. Any questions?"

"Yeah," said Virginia. "Who made you the boss around here?"

"Virginia, this is not –," Wolf started to say, but he was cut off.

"Why should we just follow her into the river like some kind of disciple?" Virginia argued.

"Because," said Rena forcefully, "Unless you have any better ideas, this is a tactic that has been used by animals to evade predators for thousands of years. Now, we can't waste time, they'll be on us in half an hour. We need to get the horse across and get moving."

Rena tied a line onto herself and led the mare across the creek to safety, then came back and told them the order to be in. "I'll lead, and Wolf you take the rear in case Virginia slips so you can catch her."

"And what if you slip?" Virginia asked.

"I won't," Rena replied.

"But how can you—"

"I said I won't." Rena fastened the rope securely around Virginia's waist. "Trust me."

With everyone's ropes secured, Rena led them into the water, which was really cold, but bearable. The hardest part was fighting against the current without slipping. Despite their efforts, Virginia and Wolf each slipped once, and Rena got soaked from head to toe helping Wolf. They made it to shore safely though, Rena's borrowed animal trick had worked.

When Wolf climbed out, he dried off in a dog-like manner, shaking his entire body until most of the water was off. Virginia, however, simply began wringing out her clothes and hair. Rena dried off similarly to Wolf, only she shook one limb at a time. When she tried to shake her head, she cursed at her hat and threw it on the ground so she could dry off her curly red locks.

Such a cry escaped Virginia's lips that the others immediately turned to look at her. She was gaping wide-eyed at Rena and pointing at her head. "B-b-big…ears!"

Sure enough on the top of Rena's head was a pair of large, furry ears that looked they belonged on an animal, not a human. "All the better to hear you with my dear!" Rena quickly turned to Wolf. "No offense, I just couldn't resist."

"Wh-what the hell are you?" Virginia asked, shocked, bewildered. And feeling a bit embarrassed that she missed those things this entire time.

"I, Virginia, am a half-fox," Rena said, standing straight and confidant. "A very rare and interesting creature. I'm even rarer than Wolf over here."

"A half-fox?"

"Yeah, but I don't feel like talking about it now," she said. "So I'm going to find the horse and maybe another rabbit. Wolf, feel free to fill her in." And with that, Rena left.

"Wolf," said Virginia, "Who the hell is that girl?"

"She's a half-fox named Rena," he answered simply.

"Okay, what the hell is a half-fox?"

"Aright," he said, trying to calm her down. "Just sit down and I'll tell you…

_"It all started when a thief broke into witch's house and stole a bunch of her potions things. Not a good idea, I think he got turned into a toad or something. But, anyway, as he was running away, one potion fell and shattered on the ground. Then, a pregnant vixen came and lapped it up. Now, no one knows what effect the potion was supposed to have, after all magic can sometimes work differently on animals, but a month or so later, the fox gave birth to five half-fox children._

_"There were 3 boys and 2 girls, each with little fox ears and tiny fox tails. I think the dad wanted out soon after they were born, but somehow the mother managed to raise them to young adulthood. All except the youngest daughter, she died when she still a little girl. But the rest grew up and did their part to populate the kingdoms with half-foxes._

_"Now, you have to understand, half-foxes are very different from half-wolves because they were created by magic. Half-wolves tend to lose more and more wolfishness through the generations as they mix with humans. But foxes stay the same mostly. Because of their large ears, they hear much better than half-wolves. But unfortunately, they can often have poor constitutions, and many don't make it to adulthood because of that._

_"Also, many times when a fox falls in love with and impregnates a human girl, he's either run out of town or killed before the baby is born. Then the mother doesn't know how to take care of it, and it usually dies. However, many fox-women's children do survive, but still, the mates leave them a lot. I don't know Rena's story, but I'll bet she was raised by a half-fox woman."_

"Two half-foxes actually," said Rena, standing back by the trees with the horse. "Both parents. But I'm not in the mood for sob-stories, so let's keep the mood happy, shall we?" She held up a brown rabbit by the foot for them to see. "This rabbit won't keep forever, so let's get a fire going. "We're a few hours from South Arctic Village, we should leave tomorrow morning."

Wolf and Virginia got up together, and began collecting wood for the fire. In the west, the sun was setting, filling the sky with purples and pinks and oranges. Rena took just a moment and watched it, twisting her star pendant around on her string.


End file.
